


a dream within a nightmare

by quiet_awkward



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 17:55:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17309183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet_awkward/pseuds/quiet_awkward
Summary: Tony finds himself standing at an altar with Pepper in front of him. It's sudden, and he feels wholly unready, but she's smiling at him so fondly, so sweetly, that it doesn't matter. He just knows that right now, in this moment, this is when his life changes for the better. He's grinning fit to bust, and it hurts.Tears prickle his eyes. He's the happiest he's ever been.





	a dream within a nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Had this bit hanging out in my folder ever since Mission Impossible: Fallout came out. With Avengers: Endgame three months away, I've finally decided to stop being a chicken and post it.
> 
> Has anyone done this yet? If anyone has, I must apologize because I've been avoiding Infinity War fics like the coward I am.

Tony finds himself standing at an altar with Pepper in front of him. It's sudden, and he feels wholly unready, but she's smiling at him so fondly, so sweetly, that it doesn't matter. He just knows that right now, in this moment, this is when his life changes for the better. He's grinning fit to bust, and it hurts.

This is happening.

Rhodey's with him just like how he's always imagined it, standing right behind him, smiling softly, warmly, standing tall and upright, arms folded behind his back. Tony holds Pepper's hands softly in his, because he can't think to do more when he has his heart in his throat, when he can't process anything more other than Pepper being here, with him, and of how lucky he is to be the one standing here, with her.

And then the priest starts, voice smooth and soothing, a familiar comfort he can't quite place, "Would you take Virginia Potts, as your lawfully wedded wife, to swear to have, to hold, and to forever protect?"

Tony says he does. Tears prickle his eyes. He's the happiest he's ever been.

Then, the priest continues, "To shield her from the unknown, to break your promises, to have your families fall apart --"

All of a sudden, the world stops spinning, it stops sparkling, and it stops shining. The world stills, impossibly silent. Tony can't say anything as he turns his head to look at the priest.

The priest just stares him down, blue eyes haunting, saying, "To be unable to make those closest to you happy, and to continuously fail the one duty you solely devoted yourself to."

"And do you, Virginia Potts, take Tony Stark as your husband, as he continues to fail to meet your expectations of living a normal life, to be devoted to this one man who calls himself a superhero?"

He can't breathe. It's all wrong, all of a sudden. This isn't how it's supposed to go. It was never supposed to be -- It's supposed to be the idyllic dream. Tony can only look pleadingly to Pepper, throat tight, heart bolted, when whispering to her, "Please no," as he tightens his grip on her hands.

But Pepper smiles sweetly to him, squeezing his hands in return reassuringly, eyes crinkling at the corners, and whispers lovingly, "I do."

Peter walks up the aisle to the both of them as the ring bearer, but the rings aren't there.

"Pete?" Tony says, voice quivering, barely there.

Peter looks pale, shaking as he tries to hold himself up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," he says and he falls to his knees. He reaches out weakly. "I'm sorry."

"Peter --" Tony tries to release Pepper's hands, but she holds onto him tightly, so his head whips back to meet her gaze.

"You shouldn't have gone on that ship, Tony," she says in that quiet, tired, reprimanding voice.

"Pepper, please --"

Peter's already fading away, dissolving into midair, collapsing in on himself. Tony's breath is caught in his throat. This can't be happening. He wants to reach out -- He needs --  _He needs to --_ Peter's voice is just a hollow echo, reverberating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Pepper continues to smile sweetly at him, even as Tony desperately grasps onto her --

\-- and when he goes to wrap his arms around her, she disintegrates into ashes.

Out of his hold.

Out of his sight.

"Rhodey?" he rasps, voice hoarse, breaking. " _Rhodey._ I can't --"

He turns around. Rhodey's not there either.

Tony lets out a quiet sob as he clutches Pepper's ashes to himself.

"You could have saved them," the priest says, resigned and defeated, slowly deteriorating. Steve Rogers says, "You could have saved us."

\--

Tony jolts awake.

\--

\--

\--

(The darkness lulls him to fall into a false sense of comfort and security until the unfamiliar surroundings catch up to him. The deep, low hum of the ship, the coldness of the air, and Nebula standing off to the side, staring out to the beautiful, vast galaxy.

Oh god, he thinks as he sits up. Oh god. His muscles strain and scream at him, his stomach feels like it'll tear itself apart. Oh  _god._

There's a quiet whisper in his ear,  _"I don't want to go. Please, I don't --"_

Tony closes his eyes. He stills remembers the feeling of Peter falling away like sand all too vividly. He could have saved them, he thinks, and he thinks of how Steve's cold body felt beneath his.  _God,_ he could have saved them.)

 

**Author's Note:**

> Side note: Originally, this was a small ficlet for S, a close friend, but with her encouragement, though indirect as it was, it became this, and wanted me to post it somewhere. Here it is, five months later.


End file.
